Gary's Big Day
This is the first time I have ever drove
a race car and I was ready to go again as soon as it was over. Maybe next
year. It was fun and scary at the same time. You are strapped in to the seat
pretty tight, did not feel any bumps, but Kentucky speedway is pretty
smooth, Loud. The car was setup tight so you had to hold it down in the
corners, wanted to push out to the wall, the faster you went the more you
had to hold it down. It would turn into the corner by its self, lot of
stagger and camber. In fact going down the straight a way you had
the turn the wheel about 10 to 15 degrees to the right to keep the car
going straight. Kentucky is a D-Shape 1.5 mile oval you are only
in the back stretch about 2-3 sec and in the front stretch about 4-5 sec,
they wanted you about 10 feet off the wall. You know the wall is there but
you don't really see it going by. About 145 - 150 is as fast as they would
let the students go, you follow behind the instructor 3 - 5 car length's.
Oh when you are setting in the car you do not see the hood at all, only race
track. Changes you perception, they told us, you will think you are 3 - 5
car lengths behind the instructors car and you will be 3 -5 football fields
behind. You have to be close to the instructors car to be able to go fast.
Not to draft but to be doing the same thing the instructor is doing at the
same place on the track. I did take a ride-along with a real driver
after I drove to see what it was like at real race speed 165 mph lap
speed. Seen where I could have done better. By the last three laps
I was starting to get comfortable in the car, knew it was going to stick in the corners and I was not going to hit
the wall, my biggest fear. Would like to go back next year and do 30
laps. The drive home was boring lol, had to set the speed control to keep
speed down, felt like I was setting still.